


1x02: The New Regime

by Emcee



Series: The Nyazian Prophecies [2]
Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Boy Slayer, College, Demons, Gen, Not Canon Compliant, Secret Identity, Watchers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-09
Updated: 2013-02-09
Packaged: 2017-11-28 18:31:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/677504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emcee/pseuds/Emcee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Connor and Andrew are trying to settle into a Boyslayer-Watcher dynamic, but their personalities keep clashing. When an incorporeal life sucker arrives on campus, they have to put their differences aside to fight it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is not compliant with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel comic continuations... Because it actually predates them by two years. I had them posted elsewhere, but I still like them, so I'd like to have them here as well. This is a virtual series and each "episode" includes "casting" for various roles. There is more information at [the series website](http://www.frodis.net/nyazian).

Four vampires closed in on Connor. They were all bigger than him, one nearly by a foot. His stake had long since been lost. He ran towards a lamppost. He leapt into the air, using the metal post as a springboard, launching himself around in a roundhouse.  
  
His foot connected with each of the vampires in quick succession. They fell backwards onto the ground.  
  
Connor finished the kick, crouching on the ground. He smirked at the vampires, his blue eyes sparkling. Andrew zoomed in with his video camera, focusing on that feral glare.  
  
"A natural at all fighting styles, a warrior raised among devils... A child born from darkness with the abilities to either ruin or save the world. He is Connor, the boy of destiny..."  
  
Connor's head jerked up to the tree Andrew perched in. He rolled his eyes. "If you're going to stalk me, can you at least throw me a stake?"  
  
"Oh right!" Andrew tried to balance his camera on his thigh so it was still pointed at Connor. He opened his bag, rooting around. "Stake, stake, stake.... Ah! Stake!" He held it up triumphantly.  
  
One of the vampires had risen back up, grabbing Connor. Connor elbowed him in the jaw. "It's not doing me much good up there!"  
  
"Oh!" Andrew threw the stake down.  
  
Connor jumped up, kicking one of the vampires in a throat. He flipped over the one trying to grab him. He caught the stake in mid-air.   
  
Andrew scooped up the camera, focusing in, not wanting to miss a moment. He leaned forward, clutching the tree branch so he wouldn't fall. "And the Destroyer-- The Boy Slayer-- Does what was born to do-- hunt and kill the vampyrs."  
  
As the final vampire turned to dust, Connor tucked the stake into his jacket. He turned back to Andrew, sighing. "Can you please not do that?"  
  
"Not do what?" Andrew asked, turning off his video camera, resting it on his thigh.  
  
"That." Connor gestured to the camera. He shook his head. "It makes me uncomfortable you video taping me while I'm killing vampires-- especially the narration."  
  
Andrew tucked his camera into his bag. "It's very important that I document your progress. Rupert wants to see how well you fight. Since he can't be here in person, I'm just going to have to send him a tape. The Watcher's Council is very excited about having you fighting for our team."  
  
"I'm not," Connor stressed. "I'm fighting on _my_ team. I want to kill the demons that are trying to kill me and go back to my life. I'm not a Slayer."  
  
"Dude, you think it's that simple? You just decide to give up when the Big Bad is gone?" Andrew pointed a finger at Connor. "What if Luke Skywalker had given up after the first Death Star was destroyed?"  
  
Connor shrugged. "George Lucas wouldn't be a billionaire who keeps churning out crappy prequels?" He shook his head. "It's not my life anymore. Angel made sure of that. I don't have a choice in this."  
  
"You're the one who came to me. I was all ready to go back to England and you said you couldn't do this alone." Andrew put his bag over his shoulder and grabbed the trunk of the tree, trying to manoeuvre his way down.  
  
"I meant with demon research and giving me weapons. I don't need to have a video biographer."  
  
Andrew fell out of the tree, flailing ineffectually before slamming hard against the ground. "Ow!"  
  
Connor strode over to him, furrowing his brow. "Are you all right?"  
  
Turning to face up, Andrew whimpered. "I bit my tongue."  
  
Connor held out a hand. He gripped Andrew's arm, pulling him back to his feet. Andrew dusted himself off, adjusting his bag. "I'm not trying to be annoying. I'm really, really not. I just want to help."  
  
"Do all Watchers act like this?" Connor began to walk along the path back to his dormitory.  
  
Andrew ran to catch up with Connor. He clutched his bag close to his chest. "Rupert told us to develop our own style. The rigours of the old Watcher's Council led to its destruction."  
  
"That the long way to say no?" Connor ran a hand through his hair. "I said I'd go along with this Watcher thing, but we need some rules. One: No camera. I don't do cameras. They make me nervous."  
  
"But these tapes could help you hone your skills, show you your weakness."   
  
Connor furrowed his brow, frowning at Andrew. "I know how to kill demons. I don't need a play-by-play. I can do this my way."  
  
As he and Andrew walked along, a whispy black creature appeared. It floated through the air, completely unnoticed by the two men. Silently it drifted through the air, searching for warm bodies.  


* * *

 

**The Nyazian Prophecies**

**Starring**

| 

| 

|   
  
---|---|---|---  
  
**Vincent Kartheiser**

| 

**Anna Paquin**

| 

**Bret Harrison**

| 

**and Tom Lenk  
as Andrew Wells**  
  
  
****

**Guest Starring**

Mageina Tovah  
Kou Shibasaki  
Jared Hillman  
Willie Garson

**Written by**

Emcee

* * *

 

"Hey Connor."  
  
Connor jerked away from the prod to the shoulder. He grunted, squeezing his eyes shut tighter. He tried to snuggle deeper into his pillow.  
  
Only, he wasn't lying on his pillow. He opened his eyes. He was sitting at the desk in the living room, his head resting on his notebook. Jamie was standing next to him.  
  
"You're on my glasses."  
  
Connor sat up, running a hand through his mussed hair. "Oh. Sorry." He shuffled his books, picking up Jamie's glasses and handing them to him.  
  
Jamie examined them closely, wiping the lenses on the hem of his shirt. He frowned at Connor. "You fell asleep at the desk? Dude, you're getting really bad."  
  
He had come in late from patrolling with Andrew. It had taken him nearly an hour to convince Andrew that he couldn't smell any more vampires. He had a ton of homework to do. Most of it was still beneath him, unfinished. He had fallen asleep before he could make a dent in it. "We're in college," Connor replied flippantly. "Aren't we supposed to fall asleep in strange places doing homework?"  
  
"Suppose so." Jamie opened the desk, pulling a half-eaten Mars bar from the drawer. He bit into it. "But if I ever get that dire, you have my personal permission to slap me upside the head."  
  
"What time is it?" Connor asked, shifting in his seat. His body ached with the strange position he had slept in. He scrubbed his face, trying to get rid of the last vestiges of lethargy.  
  
"Almost eleven-thirty." Jamie said, throwing his backpack onto the couch. He opened it, trying to force a few more books into it. "You missed your first class- Way to go, there, Riley. When did you even get in?"  
  
"Late." Connor got up, cracking his neck. "Why didn't you wake me?"  
  
"I'm not your mother," Jamie responded, grunting with effort as he tried to zip up his overflowing bag. "Jules tried to wake you. She was worried you were sick or something. Apparently you said you didn't give a flying sluk what time it was-- What the hell is a sluk?"  
  
Connor froze, swallowing hard. He stared at Jamie, trying to find He shrugged it off. "How the heck should I know? Do I really have to explain everything I mutter in my sleep?"  
  
Jamie blinked, a bit taken aback. "You really upset her." He tried to pick up his bag, but the weight was too much for him to take. "Believe me, I don't have a burning desire for my best friend to bone my little sister, but if you don't ask her out soon, I think her head will explode."  
  
Connor picked up Jamie's bag in one hand. He helped Jamie slip it onto his shoulders. "I like Jules, she's sweet and everything, but--"  
  
Jamie whirled around. He narrowed his gaze on Connor. "Hold on. Jules said that Salome was here when I was conked out. Did you finally land Miss CoHo?"  
  
Eyes wide, Connor took a step back. "Salome?"  
  
Jamie nodded. "Yeah. Salome. About yea tall," He gestured to his nose. "Gives us coffee. Purple hair. You called dibs on her first week of school-- Not that I would have asked her out. Bit too assertive for my tastes, but hey, different strokes for different folks. She finally take you out for a test drive?"  
  
Connor shook his head. He hadn't been to the CoHo since he had found out Salome was a demon. He was still trying to adjust to the whole idea. He shrugged. "No. I'm not-- I'm not really asking her out anymore."  
  
Jamie frowned. "Oh. Okay. That's... Unlike you. Yeah, that Andrew guy called. Twice." He adjusted his bag. "I've got to run. Later."  
  
After giving Connor a quick shot in the arm, Jamie was out the door. Connor rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the clock. He had an hour or so before his next class. He could get some studying in before--  
  
The phone rang. Connor crossed the room, picking the receiver of the cradle. "Jamie, Jules and Connor's place. Connor speaking."  
  
"Ah, Connor, so glad I was able to reach you." Andrew affected a slight British accent, sounding haughty.   
  
Connor groaned, sliding down into the desk chair. He rested his head against his hand. "What's up, Andrew? Find another demon who wants me dead?"  
  
"Actually..." Andrew's voice lost the English, pompous note. He hemmed and hawed for a moment. "I was kinda hoping you and I could have a conversation. I need to write my Watcher diary. Since the diary is supposed to cover all the time you acted as a Slayer, we have a lot of time to cover."  
  
"I'm not exactly a Slayer," Connor sighed. "Even if I was, I don't want to go over the finer details of every one of my kills from my old life."  
  
"There needs to be accounts," Andrew chided. It came off whiny more than anything. "You are a thing without precedence. That needs to be recorded, put into... I dunno, records!"  
  
"I'm a thing?" Connor shook his head. "Good-bye, Andrew."  
  
"Wait wait wait!" Andrew cried, panicked. "Don't hang up! I didn't mean a thing. You're a... a... I dunno! What do you want me to say?"  
  
"I can't do this now anyway, Andrew," Connor said. He stretched the phone cord so he could reach the fridge, kicking the door open with his foot. He pulled out a carton of milk, sniffing it. Finding the smell acceptable, he took a big gulp of it. "I have a class soon. I already missed my first class because of patrol last night. I'm not going to miss another so you can play Twenty Questions. Let me at least get the super important things in my life done."  
  
Connor pulled a half-eaten sandwich out of the fridge. His name was written on plastic wrap. He unwrapped it, shoving the garbage into his pocket.  
  
"You have a sacred duty--" Andrew started.  
  
"Where does it say that?" Connor asked, taking a bite of his sandwich. He kicked the fridge door shut and turned, getting tangled in the phone cord. "Is there some other prophecy about me killing demons? Can I see it? Am I mentioned by name?"  
  
Andrew paused. "I haven't seen the prophecies for myself. But there's a lot written about the son of the vampire with a soul."  
  
Connor tried to untangle himself from the cord while still holding the phone and his sandwich. "Maybe its some other son of a vampire with a soul."  
  
"Wouldn't be the first time the cryptic's caused trouble," Andrew muttered.  
  
Connor furrowed his brow. "What was that?"  
  
"Nothing! Go to class. We'll meet later." Andrew laughed. "It'll all be fine."  


* * *

  
Andrew swept his arm over the bed, pushing the scattered books and discarded take out containers to the floor. He threw himself belly first onto the bed. He held the slim book in front of his face, opening to the first page.  
  
"Chapter One. So you've met your Slayer." He narrated the book aloud in as friendly a voice as he could muster. He had read this book many times before, so much so he could almost recite it by heart. But it never hurt to refresh. "Many Slayers are upset when they first learn of their calling. It is the Watcher's responsibility to keep the Slayer's emotional state as steady as possible as they explore their destiny."   
  
Andrew rolled onto his back and got off the bed. He began to circle a chair, focusing on it as if a person occupied it. "Now, Connor, I understand how those tormented memories of your traumatic childhood in a hell dimension and being manipulated by an evil higher power upsets you. And how your new, better life has totally been blow by demons wanting to kill you... But it's not all bad! No one can beat you up! Except Slayers and vampires and demons and witches and..."  
  
He sighed and turned to the next page. "A Watcher should draw from personal experience to guide the Slayer in her journey." Andrew looked around the room. He picked up a pen from the table, scribbling something into the book. " _His_ journey."  
  
He looked up from the book, smiling brightly. "So I can totally teach you how to uncover an evil seal of doom and murder your best friend to activate it."  
  
He frowned, shutting the book and throwing it over his shoulder. He threw himself back down onto the bed. He covered his face with his hands. "Great mentory things to say..."  
  
He sat up, pointing a finger. "Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our point of view... No, that will just bring up his changed memories." He furrowed his brow, stroking his chin. He sighed. "To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure." He shook his head furiously. "No, that would just piss him off. Ah..." He nodded slowly. "There is no spoon." He stood back up, resuming his pace. "That just doesn't make any sense to a Slayer... Maybe something from Gandalf?"  
  
He paused. "What would Rupert say?" He furrowed his brow, thinking back on his own mentor. "Andrew, do stop being tiresome. Yeah, that's not going to work."  
  
Andrew crossed the room, sitting down beside the phone. He picked up the receiver and began to dial.  
  
He bounced impatiently as he listened to the phone ring. He grinned when it was finally picked up. "Hey Rona! What's up there, girl? Been a long..." He frowned. "It's Andrew. Uh, Andrew Wells. I guess I sound different being so far away." His frown deepened. "Yeah. I left last week. I'm on permanent assignment in California now. You didn't notice? Oh. Well, yeah, I'm back in good ol' California." He smiled again, trying to force himself to sound pleasant. "I've got a new Slayer that I'm training personally."   
  
He sunk down into his seat. "No, she hasn't tried to kill me yet. We're very careful during training." He scowled. "Since we, uh, haven't gotten to that yet. Is Rupert in?"  
  
Andrew leaned his head on his hand, sighing deeply. He sat up straight after a moment, grinning. "Rupert! Hey! I'm so glad I was able to catch you." He winced. "Sorry. I... Ah... I didn't realize what time it was. I forgot you would be leading the girl in meditation. It's the big time difference. Maybe I'll get myself one of those watches that lets you see like three time zones at... Why did I call? It's Connor."  
  
Andrew bent down a picked one of the discarded boxes off the ground. He sniffed it and then began to eat noodles out of it with his bare hands. "Well, he's being really, really stubborn. He doesn't want me video taping him--"  
  
He sighed. "Yeah, I know some people don't like to be video taped. But he saw me with the camera? Did I ask first? Well... Not in the most technical sense... He doesn't want to help me fill in my diaries..."  
  
Andrew threw the takeout box onto the table. "I know I begged for this assignment. But it's just so... so... Why is he being so difficult?"  
  
He picked up the Slayer Handbook and began to flip through it again. "I've been reading the Slayer Handbook and there's nothing in here that will help me. Maybe Willow wrote it wrong.... Yes, I know Connor is a special case. Yes, I know I shouldn't expect him to act like any other Slayer."  
  
Andrew furrowed his brow. "Where is he now? Well, he said he had some important things to take care of before he came by."  


* * *

  
"Score!" Connor pumped his fist in the air, still clutching his hockey stick tightly. He did a lap around the net, doing a couple of turns on his rollerblades. "Once again, Riley completely humiliates Black at the net!"  
  
Jamie scowled, retrieving the ball from inside of the net. "Riley's living off nothing but luck." He hit the ball back to Connor as he circled around. "Your ass is going to get totally spanked. I will never be defeated by someone who has not seen real ice." He readjusted his Rangers jersey.  
  
"Stop fooling with your shirt. It's fine." Connor asked as he handled the ball, passing it back and forth in front of him. "I don't know why you wear that _every time_ we play."  
  
Jamie frowned, looking down at his jersey. "It's my lucky jersey."  
  
Connor grinned. "Maybe it's broken." He looked over Jamie's shoulder. "Car."  
  
Rolling up to the net, Connor helped Jamie lift it, carrying it over to the side of the road as the car came closer. He rested his head against the frame of the net, tapping his fingers impatiently as he waited for the car to pass.  
  
"So how was class?" Jamie asked.  
  
Connor shrugged. "Classy." He picked up the net as the car finally passed. "Game on."  
  
Jamie took position back in the net. He slapped his stick against the asphalt. "You know, you used to hype classes a lot more. You're not even carrying your computer anymore!"  
  
Connor did a figure eight, looking down at the ground. He sighed deeply. "I've got a lot on my mind right now. Classes are just sort of..." He shrugged again. "Classes."  
  
"So who's this Andrew guy that's trying to get a hold of you?" Jamie asked.  
  
Connor furrowed his brow. "Are we going to talk or are we going to play?"  
  
"We're going to--" Jamie sighed. "Car."  
  
Connor rolled his eyes, striding back to the net. He lifted it, pulling it to the side. "You know, we need to find a less busy street to play on. Either that or not talk as much during the game."  
  
The Beetle coming up the street was old, falling apart. It was a hideous lime green, the paint flaking off. Instead of driving passed, it slowed and pulled up to the curb.  
  
Connor frowned as he watched the car stop and Andrew step out. Andrew adjusted his jacket. "Ah! Connor! There you are!" He stepped towards Connor and Jamie.  
  
Sighing, Connor turned to Jamie. "Do you think you can get the net away? I've got to--" He gestured to Andrew.  
  
"Oh." Jamie furrowed his brow. He leaned over to Connor. "Why are you hanging out with this guy?" He whispered.  
  
Connor shrugged. "It's complicated. I'll see you later."  
  
He whirled around, nodding his head to Andrew. "Let's roll." He skated down the sidewalk. He shook his head, coasting along. Andrew's footsteps were heavy behind him.  
  
Once they were at the curb, far out of Jamie's earshot, he turned around. He sighed as Andrew caught up to him. "So what's up? Why did you interrupt my hockey game?"  
  
Andrew scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. He glared at Connor, pulling himself to full height. "You said you had important things to do. Super important things. Hockey is super important?"  
  
Connor ran a hand through his hair. He shrugged. "I needed to blow off some steam."  
  
"Blow off some steam?" Andrew arched an eyebrow. "You have destiny! A destiny written about in a dozen very vague and cryptic prophecies!" His body relaxed. "You know, Faith says that killing demons is chocked full of steam blowing offness..."  
  
"I like hockey. I like my friend. I like playing hockey with my friend." He put a hand to his head. "We play after classes every week on Fridays. Why don't you make a note of that in your diary? It's something I do. It's something I don't really want to stop doing. It's something that stops me from getting really, really pissed off at you. Comprende?"  
  
Andrew nodded. "Ah, no problemo, mi amigo. It can be your 'personal time'. Buffy says that's like really, really important. Are you done now?"  
  
Connor sighed resignedly, nodding. "All right. Fine. Where's the hoop? I'll jump."  


* * *

  
Jules perched on the edge of the desk, the receiver balanced between her head and shoulder. She swung her legs idly. "Things are going great here, Daddy. I'm finally getting to know my way around campus. I'm only getting lost every other day now! This apartment is really, really nice. Thanks for buying it for us..." She bit her lip. "How is everyone? Well, Jamie is-- Connor? Oh, he's..." Her cheeks flushed red. "He's, well, actually he's being really weird right now. Staying out late, coming home with bruises and stuff. He's also hanging out with the weird skanky punk girl from the CoHo."  
  
She jumped off of the table, pulling the phone away from her ear. She winced. "Sorry, daddy. I shouldn't have used the s-word. She's just... Well, I don't like her. She's got tattoos and-- and guys like girls who have that sort of stuff."  
  
She smiled broadly. "Aww... Daddy, I am not the most beautiful girl... Is he up to anything else? What? Are you worried about him? You know, I don't think he's into anything bad."  
  
The door opened and Jamie entered, pulling off his jersey and tossing it onto the kitchen table.  
  
Jules waved to her brother, smiling. "Daddy, Jamie just walked in. Do you want to--" She moved the phone away from her ear, frowning. She slowly lowered the phone, setting it back in the cradle. "I guess he had to go. You know how busy he is."  
  
"Yeah." Jamie scowled, throwing himself down onto the couch. "I know. He's quite the beaver. Know and emphatically don't care."  
  
Jules frowned deeper, sitting down beside Jamie. She rested her head against his shoulder. "Daddy loves you. He just has a weird way of showing it."  
  
Rolling his eyes, Jamie shook his head. "Apparently you are thinking of Bizarro-Dad." He relaxed into the cushions. "He has more interest in our roommate than he does me."  
  
"He has interest in Connor because he's your best friend." Jules nudged Jamie. "He wants to make sure you're not sharing an apartment with a guy who's no good."  
  
Jamie laughed. "No, he wants to make sure you're not crushing on a guy who's no good."  
  
Jules paled, eyes growing wide. "Umm... You know about that?"  
  
"Yeah." Jamie put an arm around Jules' shoulders. "Hate to break this to you, but I think every person on campus knows."  
  
Jules pulled away from Jamie, getting to her feet. "Does Connor know?"  
  
Jamie nodded. "That's a big ten-four, kid."  
  
Covering her face with her hands, Jules let out a moan. She fell back down onto the couch. "You're kidding me. I didn't want him to know that!" She peeked through her fingers. "Is he interested?"  
  
Jamie thought about it for a moment, furrowing his brow. He licked his lips. "You know, I don't think he's interested in dating girls at the moment. He's really busy."  
  
"Busy doing what?"  


* * *

  
Connor jumped to his feet, nearly slipping on the floor, still wearing his in-line skates. He wanted to be able to make a quick exit from Andrew's motel room if need be. "Yeah, we're not doing this."  
  
Andrew dropped his pen onto his notepad. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "You agreed to do this. You said I could ask you questions for my diaries. These are important things."  
  
"Yeah, well, I didn't think the first words out of your mouth we're going to be 'so what's the worst thing about having your old memories back?'." Connor shook his head furiously. "You think it's okay to just ask that? Have you short-circuited a few neurons? That's just not cool."  
  
"But it's important to know any adverse effects the memory restoration had on you. There could be like dire consequences." Andrew pouted. "Can you just tell me?"  
  
Connor threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "Losing my virginity twice really sucked."  
  
"Can't you at least try to be serious about this?" Andrew asked.  
  
"I am being serious," Connor replied. "I'm not surprised you don't know, but losing your virginity once is embarrassing enough. Then finding out you actually lost your virginity to a half-demon possessed by a higher power while fire is raining from the sky and your father is watching..."  
  
His eyes grew wide as Andrew picked up the pen again. "Wait, wait, wait... You're actually going to write that down?"  
  
"You're not giving me a whole lot to work with," Andrew replied as he uncapped the pen.  
  
Connor lunged forward to grab the pen away from Andrew. He got it in his fist, gripping it tightly. "Andrew, I don't know how things are supposed to be, but I don't want to do _this_. I'll hunt, I'll kill demons. I was doing that part anyway. I'll research demons to figure out better, more efficient ways to kill them. And--" He scowled. "If I have to, I'll do magic. And believe me when I say that's a major concession. I just really can't deal with this crap."  
  
Andrew sat back, slumping his shoulder. He looked down at his blank notepad. "But... This is important."  
  
Connor sat down. "Why? Why is it so important for you to know every detail about my old life? The demons I killed? The horrible things that happened to me? So a hundred years from now someone can go into a dusty library and read about it? I don't want people to know about it. Anyway, from the way you guys talk about the prophecies, there's enough written about me."  
  
Andrew nodded. "Can you at least tell me about your fight last week? You didn't give me many details."  
  
Connor nodded, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Okay that I can do. We were in the CoHo, arguing. Then I asked out Salome and she said yes. We went out and she told me she was a demon."  
  
Andrew's head jerked up. "Wait, you didn't tell me that part before. You went out on a date with a demon?"  
  
Surprised by this reaction, Connor frowned. "Well, it wasn't a real date. She told me she was a demon, I hit her, she hit me. Then we talked and--"  
  
"Please tell me you killed her." Andrew's eyes were wide.  
  
"She's not a bad demon. She helped me with the vampire gang." Connor shook his head. "Whatever happened to 'not all demons are bad'?"  
  
"That's before you were dating one!" Andrew exclaimed. He cradled his head, rocking back and forth. "Angel said 'Make sure Connor doesn't date any demons'. It was his first rule!"  
  
"I'm not dating a demon," Connor replied. "I mean, Salome is hot for a demon, but we're not... We just killed some vampires together. Wait, Angel _forbid_ me from dating demons? A vampire who dates a werewolf is forbidding me to date demons?"  
  
"I don't care if he's all hypocritic," Andrew said, looking up. "I care about the very graphic threats made to my personal person. I like my skin attached to my body, so no dating demons."  
  
"I'm not dating a demon," Connor repeated. He smiled wickedly. "But I might now that I know it's forbidden."   
  
"Don't say that," Andrew whined. "Please don't say that."  
  
Connor got up, laughing. "Relax, Andrew. I am not going to date demons just so you can get killed by my d-- Angel. I'm not really looking for relationship with demons that go deeper than me killing them. If we're done, I'm going to take off."  
  
"Wait!" Andrew jumped up. "We've got training!"  
  
"Training?" Connor furrowed his brow. "You want me to train?"  
  
"Of course." Andrew picked up the Slayer's Handbook. "I need to 'train you in different disciplines of martial arts and discover where your weaknesses lay'."  
  
Connor shook his head. "I've got a paper to write. It's due on Monday."  
  
"You've got all weekend!" Andrew exclaimed. "It'll be fine!"  
  
Narrowing his gaze, Connor glared at Andrew. "You're not going to make me patrol all weekend?"  
  
"Well, I..."  
  
Connor nodded, going to the door. "Thought so. Let me have some semblance of a life, at least until dark. If something important comes up, call me. Don't worry, Andrew. Things don't start going bump in the night until it _is_ night."  


* * *

  
"Dude, close the window. The wind is knocking my papers all over the place," John yelled, holding a pile of papers down.  
  
His roommate Kenny stood by the window, which was wide open. He held a cigarette between his lips. "Let me just finish, man. I don't feel like going all the way outside."  
  
John put headphones on, scowling. "Idiot."  
  
Kenny took another drag, hanging his head out the window. "Hey! Pam! Looking hot to-"  
  
He went ridged, the cigarette dropping from his fingers. His mouth was open wide, lips turning black. His eyes glazed over.  
  
John tore of his headphones. He got up. "Dude, close the window already!" He whirled around and screamed.  
  
Kenny was prostrate on the ground, dead.


	2. Chapter 2

The computer screen was starting to look fuzzy. Connor had brought his face so close to the screen, his nose nearly bumped against it. He tried to shut out the constant ringing of the phone.  
  
The door opened and Jules entered. She pulled off her coat, frowning deeply. Tossing the coat onto the couch, she crossed the room to answer the insistent ring.  
  
"Don't bother," Connor muttered, rubbing his eyes. "It's for me."  
  
"Then why aren't you answering it?" Jules asked, cocking her head.  
  
Connor shrugged, clacking away at the keyboard. "I don't want to talk to him."  
  
"How do you know who it is?"  
  
Frowning, Connor furiously stabbed at the backspace with his index finger. "Because he's been calling every five minutes since I got back. We're starting to enter Restraining Order town."  
  
Jules rolled her eyes and picked up the receiver.  
  
"Don't--!" Connor jumped to his feet.  
  
Jules hung up the phone then took it off the cradle, letting it hang. She turned back to Connor and smiled. "There. Now you won't have to talk to whoever it is and we won't have to listen to that annoying ringing." She sat down beside him. "If you don't mind me asking, who is it?"  
  
"He's--" How was he supposed to describe Andrew? He really defied description. Connor looked down at the keyboard, unable to meet Jules' gaze. "He's tutoring me. Yeah, Andrew is tutoring me."  
  
"Why would you need a tutor?" Jules asked. "You're... Brilliant." Her voice was slightly breathless with awe.  
  
"History," Connor said quickly. "I'm a bit out of my element there."  
  
"Oh." Jules frowned. "Why are you avoiding Andrew's calls then?"  
  
"It's complicated, Jules. Really complicated." He could feel Jules' gaze on him. He carefully avoided looking up, wanting desperately to avoid the look.   
  
She reached out, taking his hand, stilling his typing. "Connor, is everything all right?"  
  
Connor shook his head. "It's fine. Everything's good."  
  
"I don't believe you." Jules' voice was soft, very serious. It lacked the usual excited twitter she possessed when speaking to Connor. "You've been gone a lot lately. Even when you are here... It doesn't feel like you're here."  
  
Snaking his hand away, Connor got to his feet. He stepped away from the table, his back to Jules. "I'm just busy. Lots to do. You know how school can get. It's just... A lot."  
  
"Are you sure that's it?" Jules got up, placing a hand on Connor's shoulder. "This seems like more than just classes and homework. Jamie and I are worried about you."  
  
Connor turned, plastering a smile onto his face. "Don't. You really don't have to. It's nothing. I swear. I'm fine."  
  
There was a knock on the door. "Connor?"  
  
Connor's eyes grew wide. Andrew. "Oh dammit!"  
  
Jules looked frantically to the door. "What is it? Is it him?"  
  
Connor wasn't paying attention. He was throwing his books and his laptop into his bag. "Listen, I'm not here. Just answer the door and tell him I'm not here."  
  
"Will that make him go away?" Jules looked worried.  
  
"Eventually." Well, at least Connor hoped so. "When he realizes I'm not here, he'll look for me somewhere else."  
  
"But you are here."  
  
Connor strode to the window, opening it wide. He slung his bag over his back. "Not for long."  
  
Jules eyes were wide behind her glasses. "We live on the fifth floor, Connor!"  
  
"I'll be fine." Of course, a normal person would at the very least break their arm. Connor gave her a weak smile. "Umm.. Fire escape next apartment over. I can get to it from here."  
  
"Is it really worth risking your life to get away from this guy?" Jules asked.  
  
Connor laughed nervously as he climbed out the window. "Oh, wait until you meet him."  


* * *

  
Salome was curled up on her bed, a pen clutched between her teeth. She bobbed her head to the music playing on her iPod.   
  
She glanced up for a moment, looking out the window. It wasn't yet sunset. She still had a bit before she had to go out patrolling.   
  
She felt a hand tap on her shoulder. She looked up at the pretty Asian girl standing over her. She took her headphones off. "Yes, Oni?"  
  
"There is a male at the door for you," Oni replied. "He seems very disturbed."  
  
"Disturbed boys," Salome stretched out, swinging her legs off the bed and standing up. "My favourite." She ran a hand through her violet hair and strode to the door.  
  
She smiled when she saw Connor standing in the doorway, clutching a bag to his chest. "Hey there, Ace. Long time."  
  
"Oh good, you're here." Connor sighed in relief.  
  
"Yeah, it's my day off. Everything all right?" She glanced to her roommate, who stood between her and Connor. "Oh, this is Oni Kato, my roommate. Oni, this is Connor Riley."  
  
Connor held out a hand to Oni. "It's nice to meet you."  
  
Oni shook Connor's hand. "I'm going to leave you two alone." She looked at the large pile of books on her bed. It was nearly as big as she was. "Please don't disturb my study area. I would also advise protection."  
  
"No prob, Oni. Later." Salome waved as Oni picked up a book, cast one last glance to Connor and left.  
  
"She seemed in a hurry," Connor commented.  
  
Salome nodded. "Well, she thinks we're going to have sex."  
  
"What?" He took a step back, edging towards the door. "Why would she think that?"  
  
Salome gave Connor a devilish smile. "Ooh, it's because you're so beautiful, dahling." She shrugged. "Really, don't ask me. Girl's missing a few cards in her deck. So what I do to warrant a visit?"  
  
Connor looked down, shifting nervously. "What? A guy can't just drop in?"  
  
Salome nodded, arching a brow. "Yeah... Not really. Not when you've been avoiding me for the last week."  
  
Looking up quickly, Connor shook his head. "I haven't been-- I've just been busy."  
  
"And I believe that why?" Salome stretched. The hem of her tank top pulled up, exposing her midriff. The same purple markings Connor had seen across her chest continued down her navel, dipping below her jeans. Connor tilted his head, gazing over the markings.  
  
"Hey!" Salome snapped her fingers. "Eyes." She pointed her fingers at her own eyes. "Up here. As much as I appreciate a good ogle, I want to know what the hell's been going on."  
  
Connor looked up, shaking his head. "I wasn't ogling. I was just wondering about the tattoos."  
  
"Not tattoos," Salome said quickly. "And I can guess what you're thinking. Considering how your attitude of late, you've never going to find out how far down they go." She hooked a thumb in the waist of her jeans.  
  
Connor swallowed hard. "I haven't been avoiding you. I haven't been... Well, I've had a lot to absorb in the last week."  
  
Salome nodded. "And you couldn't be around me during this absorption. I understand. Hey, I mean it's not like we're friends or anything. I mean you're just some guy I use to flirt with." She smacked her forehead. "Oh! But then there's that thing where we were killing vampires together. You know, I've always found that to be a bonding experience."  
  
She crossed her arms over her chest. "Listen, Ace, I like you. You're a really nice guy. On top of that, I can be honest with you about what I am. It would be really nice to have a friend I can actually talk to without worrying about spilling my great big secret. If you're avoiding me because I'm a demon and I use magic, get over it because--"  
  
"Salome," Connor shouted before she could get too far into her tongue-lashing. "Stop. I get it. I came by your dorm. That's not avoiding. Okay, I have a bit of a problem with demons and magic people. But..." He ran a hand through his hair. "I need your help."  
  
Salome furrowed her brow. "What's wrong?"  
  
Connor said, sitting down, sighing. "I just need to place to study. Somewhere no one would think of looking for me."  
  
"Ah." Nodding, Salome sat down beside him. "So you came to the person you've been avoiding."  
  
"I haven't been--" Connor looked at Salome, studying her features. With the glamour, she looked so normal. "I've been avoiding you."  
  
"Why?" Salome shook her head. "And don't you dare clam up. I want to know. I'm exactly the same person I was before."  
  
"Not to me." Connor clenched his fists. "I thought you were a nice, normal girl--"  
  
"I am a nice, normal girl," Salome insisted.  
  
Connor shook his head, inching away from Salome. "You're a nice, normal demon. There's a big difference."  
  
"You're the son of two vampires." Salome sounded mournful, standing back up. She hugged herself, keeping her back to Connor. "Wouldn't think you would look down on demons so much."  
  
"Of the demons I've met, you're definitely one of the best. Top three, even. But I've never actually known a demon I would call a friend. Most of them were too busy trying to kill me." He shrugged. "I don't know what to say, Salome."  
  
Salome turned, grinning. It looked forced, overly bright. "Well, next time you disappear on me, I'll just go after you." She nodded curtly. "It's you and me, Ace. I am annoyingly persistent when I want to be."  
  
A ghost of a grin flitted over Connor's lips. "I don't doubt that."  
  
"So why are you hiding out?" She threw herself back onto the bed. "Must be something bad."  
  
"My Watcher," Connor explained, sitting back down at the foot of Salome's bed.  
  
"What's a Watcher?" Salome asked, propping herself up on her elbows.  
  
"Honestly, I don't really know." Taking a deep breath, Connor leaned against his hands. "He's supposed to guide me in my mission to stop the forces of darkness, or some melodramatic hero crap like that. My d-- Angel sent him to help me. It's that guy you saw with me at the CoHo last week."  
  
"Oh." Salome nodded. "I can see why you would want to avoid him."  
  
Connor nodded along with Salome. "He's asking me about my past. I really hate talking about that."  
  
"Well...." Salome shrugged slightly. "I have to admit, I'm wicked curious myself. You've got that whole riddle wrapped in an enigma thing going for you. You can't really blame him."  
  
Connor's light blue eyes hardened. "So why do you fight vampires, Salome?" He spat viciously.  
  
Salome sat up. "Point taken. Most people's past suck, and demon hunter's have it in spades. Throw it back at him. If he's with the demon fighting too, ask him about his past."  
  
Wrinkling his nose, Connor turned to Salome. "Yeah, but then he might tell me."  
  
"Okay, Ace, I don't know a lot about what happened to you, but you seem to have some trust issues. If he's trying to get to know you that means he wants to... Well... Know you. It might not be a bad thing for you to let people in a bit."  
  
"I just--"  
  
Connor cut himself off as the door swung open. Oni came in, looking ashen. "Salome."  
  
Salome sat up. "What?"  
  
"There's something going on down the hall."  


* * *

  
A throng of students swarmed the hallway. Police and paramedics jostled them out of the way as the gurney was pushed out of the dorm room. The students were chattering excitedly, all of the words mixing together into a wall of white noise.  
  
Connor got onto his tiptoes, trying to see over the heads of the onlookers. The body was covered with a sheet. There was nothing to see, the sheet covering anything interesting.  
  
"Do you see anything?" Salome asked, peeking over the shoulder of the person in front of her.  
  
Connor sighed, shaking his head. "There's nothing to see. Dammit! A kid doesn't just drop dead. I want to know what happened."  
  
"Well, Kenny wasn't the type to just say no. Could have been any number of things." Salome patted Connor's shoulder, pointing to a pale and shaken boy. "There's John, Kenny's roommate. I'll see what's what."  
  
"Why don't I do that? I mean this is sort of my--" Connor winced. "Mission."  
  
Salome smirked at him as she smoothed her hair. "Yes, but I knew John and Kenny. I can sniff around and have it come off as concerned and not conspicuous. Hang tight, Ace."  
  
She weaved her way through the crowd. Connor hung back, crossing his arms over his chest, trying to be patient.  
  
"Connor!" Andrew slapped a hand on Connor's shoulder. "I'm glad you're here. I've been looking for you. How did you know what was going on? Do you have some sort of Destroyer-Sense? Did you sense danger?"  
  
Connor furrowed his brow as he turned to face Andrew. "No, I heard from another student that the police were dragging a dead body out of a dorm. I thought you'd be disappointed if I didn't at least check it out. What are you doing here?"  
  
"I heard it on my police scanner," Andrew said, trying to catch a glimpse of the body.  
  
"You have a police scanner?" Connor quirked a brow. "I'm almost impressed. Any words on if there were any bite marks? Was it a vampire?"  
  
"The police are saying he asphyxiated while huffing paint," Andrew supplied, leaning in conspiratorially. "There were black marks found around his mouth."  
  
"Well, that would certainly fit with what Salome said about Kenny."   
  
Andrew's eyes went wide. "S-S-Salome? You're with the demon?"  
  
"Do you mind not saying that so loud?" Salome hissed, smacking Andrew in the shoulder. "I'd rather the whole campus didn't know."  
  
Andrew rubbed his shoulder, scowling. "Ow... You're mean. Are you sure she isn't evil?"  
  
Salome glared at Andrew, before turning to Connor. "John pretty much said he just dropped dead. He wasn't huffing any paint, either. He just... Died. Like something had smothered him."  
  
Connor grabbed both Salome and Andrew, pulling them away from the crowd, which was slowly starting to disperse now that the body was gone. "So we're definitely looking for a demon? But not a vampire?"  
  
"I don't know," Andrew said softly, shrugging. "But he would have to move fast to get in and out without John seeing who it was. A teleporter?"  
Connor took a step back as Salome's pupils dilated, darkened. She raised her head, looking around the hall. "No portal remnants or spatial rifts."  
  
"What kind of demon are you?" Andrew asked.  
  
Salome turned to him. "One that can see portal remnants and spatial rifts." She turned back to Connor. "There is a trail though. It's like black smoke."  
  
Connor sniffed the air. "I don't smell anything. I should be able to smell smoke. How am I supposed to track it?"  
  
"You can't track it yet," Andrew insisted, taking a step forward. "We need to find out what is it first."  
  
"I can follow the trail visually," Salome suggested. "Lead you to it so you can give it the smackdown."  
  
"Wait!" Andrew protested.  
  
"Works for me," Connor said, turning his back to Andrew. "You have any weapons?" He and Salome began walking back to her dorm.  
  
"Hold on!" Andrew ran after them. "This isn't how we do things!"  
  
"Not much, but I do have some things in the sharp metal family."  
  
"Hey!" Andrew whined. "You're supposed to listen to me!"  
  
"You told me to kill demons," Connor muttered, "That's what I'm going to do."  


* * *

  
Connor swung the butcher knife a few times, testing out the balance. He frowned deeply, turning to Salome. "You expect me to kill a demon with a Ginsu?"  
  
Salome held a stake close to her chest. "Sorry. I'm not big on the hack and slash. Besides, that has a lifetime guarantee."  
  
Connor lifted a brow.  
  
Salome shrugged. "It came with my juicer."  
  
"Well..." Connor sighed, eyeing the blade. "It's big and sharp. It'll work. But if I have to do this on a regular basis, I'm going to have to get something not geared towards making julienne fries. How's the trail?"  
  
"Just as black and smoky as ever." Salome's wide eyes were trained on the sky. "Either there's more than one or it's been all over the place... Or the trail is spreading. I don't know. It's not an exact science. But I think we're on the right track." She spun an arrow between her fingers. "So... Kenny dies, and they think he's huffing paint. That Professor dies, and they think he tripped and broke his neck. I'm starting to think I could walk around in my natural state..."  
  
"... They'd think you were auditioning for 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'," Connor finished, gripping the knife handle tighter.  
  
"Man, humans can be stupid," Salome shook her head.  
  
"Not stupid. They just can't handle it." Connor looked down. "They rationalize it... Or they forget it. It has nothing to do with stupidity."  
  
Salome looked away from the trail, furrowing her brow. "And you've actually seen this happen?"  
  
"My mom and dad," Connor said softly, staring at his feet. "They just... They figured it was adrenaline. A gang on PCP. After enough time, they just sort of forgot everything that happened. Even me getting hit."  
  
"I'm confused." Salome shook her head. "Aren't your mom and dad vampires?"  
  
"No," Connor said sharply. "Angel and Darla were vampires. My mom and dad are human."  
  
Salome stopped walking, staring at Connor. "It's no wonder you don't like talking about yourself, Ace. Your life sounds nice and complicated."  
  
"You wanted to know my mystery," Connor replied with a shrug. "So do you have any clue what kind of demon it is based on the trail?"  
  
"It's the type of demon that leaves a big-ass trail of black smoke." She wrinkled her nose. "I got nothing."  
  
Connor looked up. "Maybe it's a demon made of black smoke."  
  
Salome frowned. "Why do you think that?"  
  
"Because that looks like a demon made of black smoke." Connor jerked his knife towards the large black shape. It wafted through the air, only the faintest shape of a body to it. A gaping hole in the thick smoke indicated a mouth smirking at the pair. The blurred arms reached towards them.  
  
"So what are we going to do?" Salome asked.  
  
"I was thinking of killing it." Connor crouched on the ground, gripping the knife tighter in his hand.  
  
"I don't think that--" Salome rushed forward.  
  
Connor leapt up, jumping two feet off the ground. He held the knife above his head, preparing to slice down.  
  
The smoke billowed towards Connor. The dark fog slid between his parted lips. The knife slipped out of Connor's slack fingers. He twisted mid-air, trying to get away. He lost his momentum and fell. His body was limp as it hit the pavement.  
  
"Connor!" Salome fell to her knees next to Connor's fallen form. His lips were stained black. She placed her hand on his chest. It lacked a gentle rise and fall. "Connor!"


	3. Chapter 3

Salome shook Connor. "Connor! Come on! This really isn't funny!" She was gasping for air, as if trying to show Connor how to do it. "You're not supposed to die! That's not written!"  
  
She looked up at the smoky demon, which curled closer and closer to Connor's body. "Okay... First we get away from the smoke demon, then we try to fumble our way through CPR."  
  
With a grunt, Salome picked Connor up. She struggled to run with the added weight.   
  
Once the demon was out of sight, she laid Connor back down, running a hand over his hair. "You're too important to lose!"  
  
Salome felt hands on her shoulders, shoving her aside. "If you don't know how to get him to breathe, get out of the way."  
  
Andrew knelt beside Connor, feeling his pulse. He then tilted Connor's head back. He wiped the black substance that covered Connor's lips away, before pinching his nose closed and breathing into his mouth.  
  
"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" Salome cried, running her fingers through her hair, pacing. "It's only been a week and I already get him killed! He's got so much he has to do! It's not written anywhere that some dumbass she-demon leads him right to his death!"  
  
"Shut up!" Andrew hissed, pumping Connor's chest. "He's still alive, he's just not breathing!"  
  
Andrew pulled back as Connor began to cough. His lips parted and he expelled a cloud of black smoke. Connor's body relaxed as he began to breathe again, the breaths raspy and shallow. His eyes remained closed.  
  
"Is he--" Salome slid back down again.  
  
"He'll be fine," Andrew said. "He's just unconscious." He sighed in relief. "I'll have to thank Xander for making CPR training mandatory. Can you carry him back to his apartment?"  
  
"I'll need your coat." Salome held out her hand to Andrew.  
  
Andrew slid his duster off his shoulders, frowning in question. "Why?"  
  
Salome took the coat and put it on. She turned the collar up, obscuring her face. Her skin darkened, turning violet. Her clawed hands slid beneath Connor's body. She lifted him up gently. "How did you know we were in trouble?"  
  
"I was following you. Tell him next time he should listen to me." Andrew scowled. "Take him back to his apartment. I'll be there later."  
  
"What are you going to do now?" Salome cradled Connor's prone form to her.  
  
"I'm going to find out exactly what this thing is. I may not have been as close as Connor, but think I got a good enough look to identify it." Andrew turned on his heels, striding off. "Take care of him."  


* * *

  
Connor's world was black. Pain lanced through him as he tried to come back to himself. What had happened? Where was he?  
  
With a groan, he opened his eyes. His head was pounding. His eyesight was blurry. All he could see before him was a purple blur.  
  
He blinked and Salome came into focus. She leaned in closer, only a breath away from him. She smiled, a clawed hand brushing his bangs off his forehead. "Here's a little tip. Things made of smoke rarely die from the old hack and slash. Dumbass."  
  
Connor winced, running his hands over the sheets. He was in his bed, in his room. Salome moved out of the way as Connor struggled to sit up. He put trembling hand on the back of his head. "I wasn't trying to kill it. I thought I could spread the smoke, make it less cohesive. I took a shot."  
  
"A shot that nearly killed you." Salome's voice wavered slightly. Connor frowned. It was a strange tone from Salome. Was it... fright?  
  
"I seem to be all right." Connor looked down at himself. He was still in his clothes from the hunt. They were slightly dusty.  
  
"Because Andrew saved your life," Salome whispered. She stood up, pushing a lock of hair over her ear.   
  
"Andrew?" Connor rubbed his temples. "How--"  
  
"He followed us. Performed CPR when you stopped breathing." Salome's eyes were slightly bloodshot.  
  
Connor turned his head to the window. The early rays of sunlight were creeping through the slats of the blinds. "It's day. I've been out all night?"  
  
Salome nodded. She reached to the nightstand, picking up a glass of water. She handed it to Connor. "Yeah. Jamie knocked on the door a few times, but I ignored it. He and his sister didn't see me bringing you in. They don't know I'm here." She sighed. "Andrew's off researching that thing you fought. No word yet."  
  
Connor took a gulp of water. His throat felt raw. "So your species doesn't sleep? You just sat here with me all night?"  
  
Salome looked down at the ground. Her cheeks took on a slightly darker shade of purple. "We sleep. I just... Didn't." She laughed, looking up again. "Come on, what if you had died on me or something? I don't want that guilt on me. You feeling all right?"  
  
Connor swung his legs over the side of his bed and stood up. He was a bit unsteady, still dizzy. "Any deaths last night?"  
  
"Not that I've heard." Salome shrugged. "Then I haven't exactly had my ear to the ground. There's not a lot of info one can gather locked in your bedroom."  
  
Nodding, Connor set the glass of water down on the nightstand. He stripped out of his t-shirt and tossed it on the floor. Salome arched a brow, staring at him. He strode to his dresser, opening the top drawer. He pulled out a fresh shirt, pulling it over his head. "Okay. I'm going to go check around campus, make sure that thing hasn't gotten anyone else. Go to Andrew. Help him figure out what it is and, more importantly, how I kill it. He's got a room at the Mermaid Inn." He paused for a moment, looking down sheepishly. "I mean, if you don't mind helping."  
  
Salome grinned at him. "Ace, if I had a problem helping, I would've taken off ages ago." She snatched up the coat lying at the foot of Connor's bed. "I have to return Andrew's coat anyway..." She paused, licking her lips. "Are you sure you don't want to come with me? I mean, Andrew's your Watcher and he saved your life. Don't you wanna--"  
  
Connor shrugged. "I don't want to get a lecture on how I shouldn't have gone off. I'm sure I'll see him soon enough."  
  
"Maybe we should get a lecture," Salome said, "Connor, you were about two seconds from pining for the fjords. That thing probably would have killed me next it was done with you."  
  
"But it didn't," Connor insisted. "And it didn't kill me. And maybe because it attacked me, it didn't have time to attack some other person. Now go and help Andrew. I'll go and find out if it's gotten anyone else. When I'm done that, I'll meet up with you guys."  
  
Salome crossed her arms over her chest. "Let me go find out. I can track the thing. You can't."  
  
Connor crossed his arms over his chest, mimicking Salome's action. "No."  
  
"Why not?" Salome pursed her lips, narrowing her gaze on Connor.  
  
"Because I said so." Connor straightened himself up to full height, only an inch taller than Salome. "I don't want you running into that demon."  
  
Salome rolled her eyes. "You're just trying to avoid Andrew." She uncrossed her arms, walking to the door. She transformed to human form mid-stride. "I never thought I'd get my nose broken by a coward."  
  
"I'm not a coward." Connor came up behind her, unlocking the door. "I just don't want to talk to him right now."  
  
Salome opened the door, peeking out. She saw no traces of Jamie or Jules. "Even after he saved your life?" She walked out into the living room.  
  
Connor followed Salome to the front door. "It's mostly because he saved my life. I'll see you later."  
  
"I've got to be at work at ten," Salome said as Connor unlocked the door. "Be there by then?"  
  
Connor nodded. "Keep an eye out on your way over to Andrew's."  
  
Turning to face Connor, Salome leaned in. She gave him a peck on the cheek. "I'm glad you're okay." She pointed a finger at him. "I still think you're a coward, but you're a coward I like being around."  
  
She slipped out the door, striding down the hallway. Connor smiled as she sauntered away. He reached for his jacket, preparing to follow her out.  
  
"Good morning, Campers!" Jamie announced, bounding out of his bedroom. His was dressed in rumpled pyjamas. They were red and blue with a spider web pattern on them. He ruffled his hair as he went to the kitchen. He pulled a bowl out of the cupboard, placing it on the kitchen table. He snagged a bowl of Frosted Cheerios and began to pour them. "Who was here?"  
  
"Oh." Connor grabbed his jacket. "I was actually just going out."  
  
Jamie got up. He shook his head. "Nice try there. I heard you talking to someone. Did you have company last night?" He walked to the fridge, opening the door. He retrieved the milk and sat back down at the table. He began to pour the milk into his bowl.  
  
Connor shut the door. He looked down at the ground as he walked closer to the kitchen. "It's--"  
  
"Complicated," Jamie finished as he set the milk down. He sighed deeply, standing up again. "You sing that tune more than Avril, man. Just make it uncomplicated for me."  
  
Connor shook his head. "It's not that easy." He swallowed hard.  
  
Jamie moved closer, standing before Connor, eyeing him. "You're keeping secrets. You've been keeping secrets for months now." He touched his forehead, shaking his head. "You know, I've been wracking my brain trying to figure it out. I think I've finally figured it out."  
  
Connor let out a laugh. "Last time you said that, you thought I was in a gang."  
  
Jamie looked unamused. "Well, this time it makes more sense. Being out all night, coming back with bruises, that weird guy Andrew..."  
  
Looking into Jamie's eyes, Connor could see he was deadly serious. He felt a fleeting sense of panic. "What do you think it is?"  
  
"I'm hurt you didn't think I could handle it." Jamie crossed his arms and began to pace. "You're my best friend. What you do at night is your own thing. I know you don't have a choice in it. It's just how you are."  
  
Connor took a step back, furrowing his brow. "What are you saying, Jamie?"  
  
Jamie stopped pacing. He turned slowly back to Connor. "So how long have you been seeing each other?"  
  
Connor blinked. "Seeing who?"  
  
"You and Andrew."  
  
Connor blinked again. "Seeing as in..."  
  
Jamie arched a brow. "You know what I mean. Seeing as in dating."  
  
Running a hand over his forehead, Connor squeezed his eyes shut, trying to process the information. "You think Andrew and I are--"  
  
Jamie shifted uncomfortably, blushing deeply. "You mean you're not?"  
  
"I would hope I could land someone better than Andrew!" Connor exclaimed, laughing. He cleared his throat, becoming serious. "And by that I mean, no, I'm not. I'm emphatically not." He cocked his head, confused. "Wait, how does being gay explain the bruises?"  
  
Jamie shrugged, looking sheepish. "Thought you might be James Dean-ing it."  
  
" _Dude._ " Connor winced at the insinuation. "You're... I cannot even begin to describe how much wrong is in your theory. You are the King of Dumb Theories."  
  
"Well..." Jamie was turning an impossible shade of red. "You're hanging around with Andrew all the time and he's always calling and you don't seem interested in dating Jules or Salome..."  
  
"I don't want to date right now." Connor shook his head. "I'm way too busy to date right now. And you realize I've dated a lot more in the last year than you have. So your theory..."  
  
"So what is it?" Jamie snapped, his embarrassment turning to seriousness. "What the hell is going on, Connor? Just tell me. Whatever it is, I can handle it."  
  
Connor walked back to the door, opening it. He pointed to the kitchen table. "Your cereal is getting soggy." He walked out, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

  
Andrew chewed on his lower lip as he picked up yet another book. He opened it, groaning as he began to scan the page. His fingers drifted to his collar, unbuttoning the top two buttons of his black shirt. He sighed as the pressure was relieved from his Adam's Apple. He leaned against the small table, trying to focus on the text. "Oh!" He perked up. "A Walach Fog Monster!" He withered quickly. "Oh, those only manifest in London."  
  
He flipped a few pages, blinking. "The Diadia." He wrinkled his nose. "Is solid flesh that leaves a neon green trail of smoke. Wrong one." He closed the book with a sigh. "This is pointless. I'm never going to find it."  
  
He got up, scrubbing his face. He paced back and forth. "You can't call England every time you have a problem. You should be able to take care of this on your own. You don't need Rupert's help for every demon that almost kills your Slayer."  
  
There was a knock at the door. Andrew's head jerked up. He blinked and dragged himself to the door, opening it up.  
  
Salome leaned against the frame. She held out Andrew's coat, smiling. "Thanks for the loan, Andy."  
  
Andrew took the coat in his hand. He gripped the leather tightly. "Thank you. Is he--"  
  
Salome smiled brightly. "He's awake. He's fine. He's doing the investigator thing, seeing if anyone got attacked last night." She stepped passed Andrew. "Any info?"  
  
"Nothing yet," Andrew said, gesturing belatedly to Salome to come in.  
  
"You been at it all night?" Salome arched a brow. "You should have brought your books to Connor's. I would have helped you go through them."  
  
Andrew gestured to the pile of the books in the centre of the room that went up to his neck. He rubbed his shoulders. "It would be a bit difficult to move all my books over to Connor's. Besides, I doubt he would be too pleased with it."  
  
Frowning, Salome threw herself down onto Andrew's bed. She picked up a stray book, flipping through it. "You know, you guys really need to just get into a room together and hack it out-- Not in the literal sense, but..." She sighed. "Aren't you supposed to be his guide and mentor? That sort of requires you guys talk."  
  
Andrew sat down beside Salome. "That's easy for you to say, Miss Thang. Connor actually likes being around you. How do you do that?"  
  
With a grin, Salome glanced down at the low neckline of her top. "Gee, Andy... I have no idea why a nineteen-year-old male would want to spend time with me."  
  
Andrew looked at Salome's cleavage. "So you're suggesting I grow breasts?"  
  
"Don't think that would work on you." Salome nudged him with her shoulder. "Just talk to him like a human being, not a tool for evil-fighting." She turned another page. "I know he's got a destiny, but he's a human being... For the most part. Treat him as more than a Champion."  
  
Nodding, Andrew listened to Salome's words. He frowned, moving his gaze up to look into her eyes. He tried to read her in her dark black eyes. "What do you know about Connor?"  
  
Salome cocked her head, thinking about it. "Well... He's a Computer Science major. He likes Mochachinos. He took piano for ten years. Oh, and thinks the coolest villain in comics is Catwoman."  
  
"That's not what I meant," Andrew said. "And Catwoman was hardly a villain. She was a self-serving burglar who many times helped the forces of good. It's all about the skin-tight costume. Now, Lex Luthor..." He shook his head furiously. "I'm sorry. Now's not the time to talk about comics."  
  
"Never's the time to talk about comics with me. Now Toulouse-Lautrec on the other hand..." Salome smiled at Andrew.  
  
Andrew didn't smile back. He kept his eyes trained on Salome. "What do you know about Connor? The real Connor, not the fake personality Wolfram and Hart stuck in him."  
  
Salome wrinkled her nose. "Fake personality? What are you talking about?"  
  
"It's a long story," Andrew sighed. "Connor went crazy with his old life with Angel, so Angel made a deal with Wolfram and Hart to rewrite his memories and put him with a new family. He got his old memories back a few months ago."  
  
Salome blinked. She licked her lips, nodding. "Well... It's no wonder he avoids you." She got up, throwing the book at Andrew. It hit him in the chest, falling open on his lap. "It's real to him. I don't know what he used to be, so I treat him like he is now. Maybe you should get to know _him_ , not the Destroyer."  
  
Andrew nodded solemnly. "I think you're right." He glared at Salome. "But I also think you're lying."  
  
"Oh?" Salome put her hands on her hips. "And how is that, Andy?"  
  
"You know more about Connor than you're saying." He narrowed his gaze. "What exactly do you know?"  
  
"All I know about what he was is what you and he have told me." Her voice was faux-innocent as she gave him a sickly sweet smile. "Any more questions? I thought we had research to do."  
  
Andrew looked down, gritting his teeth. He then cocked his head. "We don't need to." He turned the book, showing the etching of the smoky demon to Salome. "It just hit me."

* * *

  
"It's really important I know," Connor begged, leaning over the desk at campus security. "Were there any attacks last night? Anyone hurt or... Well, killed?"  
  
The security guard, a balding man whose uniform didn't fit quite right on his small frame, pushed his chair out, standing up. "Listen, kid, you just can't come in here and order information out of me." He pulled his shirt down, trying to make it lay flat. "Get lost."  
  
Connor shook his head. "It's really important. I don't want a blow-by-blow or anything. Just a yes or no."  
  
"No." The guard said. "There were no assaults reported last night. Now get out of here."  
  
Connor stood up straight, nodding. "That's all I wanted to know." He smiled. "Thanks, Sir. You've been... Well, 'helpful' is too strong a word."  
  
He turned and walked out of the office. He sighed in relief. At least no one had been attacked while he was unconscious. Of course, there was always the possibility that someone had been attacked and hadn't been found yet.  
  
He shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked along. He knew he should go to Andrew's to help him and Salome out. But he didn't want to be stuck under a pile of books, with an annoying Watcher he owed his life to and a demon he... Well, he didn't know how he felt about Salome.  
  
He stopped in his tracks when he saw black smoke seeping out from under a rusty metal door. He recognized that smoke from the night before. It was the smoke of the demon.   
  
He slapped a hand over his face, covering his nose and mouth. He wasn't able to see the trails. Only Salome's special sight was able to track it. This was something else.  
  
Keeping his face covered, Connor turned the doorknob. It was locked. He looked around discreetly. "I'm not doing anything here. Everyone just keep walking."  
  
When he saw no one was watching, he took a step back. With a grunt, he kicked the door. The lock buckled under his strength and the door swung open.  
  
Black smoke billowed out, dispersing quickly in the air. Connor coughed, waving the smoke away from his face, desperately trying to keep it out of his lungs.  
  
Andrew and Salome were expecting him. He should have gone back, told them about the smoke in the room. If he were attack, there was no one around to revive him.  
  
But then, he had faced countless horrors on Quor-Toth. Holtz hadn't always been with him to protect him. Usually, he was the one protecting Holtz. He might not have the opportunity to fight the demon again, that is, if he could find a way to fight it. If he let it go, it might hurt someone else.  
  
He cautiously stepped into the storage room. He frowned when he saw no more signs of the demon. The smoke had fully dispersed. All that was left in the storage room was dust clinging to the filthy windows.  
  
Connor looked up to the ceiling, scanning the corners to make sure the creature wasn't cowering. Cobwebs hung from the rafters, but the demon was no longer here.  
  
"It was here," he said to no one in particular. He put a hand to his chest. His lungs were tightening just being in the room. The demon had spent a long time here. It might even return.  
  
He walked further into the storage room. He didn't notice the symbol painted on the floor in dark crimson. It was a pentagram, with a goat's head in the centre. "I wonder why this place is special."


	4. Chapter 4

"It's called a Black Shroud." Andrew paced as he read from the thick leather-bound volume. "An immature Black Shroud, to be exact. It drains the energy of a human through the mouth. According to this, it's not the draining of the energy that kills the victims, but the unfortunate side effect of asphyxiating on the Black Shroud's body. A tell-tall sign of a Black Shroud feasting on a person is the black dust which surrounds the victim's mouth."  
  
Salome frowned, crossing her legs as she sat on the table. "So how exactly did Connor survive the attack?"  
  
Andrew shrugged as he scanned the page. "I'm not sure. He probably wasn't in contact with it for long enough. But I'm guessing if he were anyone but him..."  
  
Nodding, Salome uncrossed her legs and stood up. She peeked over Andrew's shoulder. "All right. So how do we kill it?"  
  
Andrew jerked the book away. He scowled at Salome. "Don't be a backseat Watcher!" He turned the page. "Ah. Here it is. If a person can get close enough to the Black Shroud, a standard sword through the chest should do it."  
  
"What?" Salome furrowed her brow. "That can't be right. There has to be some sort of magic to it."  
  
"Not everything is about magic!" Andrew protested. He stabbed a finger at the book. "It says right here that a sword through the chest will kill a Black Shroud."  
  
"It's made completely of smoke," Salome countered. "Connor slashed it through with a knife and it nearly killed him."  
  
Andrew looked down at the book again. "It says 'If an opponent can get close enough, a stabbing will kill a Black Shroud once it is in adult form..." He looked sheepish. "Oh. Wait. This is an immature Black Shroud, isn't it?"  
  
Salome nodded. "Yeah. So an adult Black Shroud is corporeal?"  
  
Andrew nodded, reading on. "Yeah. The smoke solidifies into flesh. It takes a few good meals to reach that."  
  
"Is there any way to make it solid without killing more people?" Salome picked up a spellbook from the bed, flipping through it. "Maybe there's a spell..."  
  
"Ummm..." Andrew shook his head. "No... We don't want this thing solid."  
  
Salome's head jerked up. "What happens when it's solid?"  
  
Andrew looked up, his face pale. "It will be capable of devouring the essence of any person within a half-mile radius."  
  
"Oh..." The spellbook slipped from Salome's fingers. "Yeah. I don't want that to happen." She bit her lower lip. "Is there any way to kill it before it goes all Mega-Dementor?"  
  
"Yeah." Swallowing hard, Andrew's face grew even paler. "But it may be too late."  


* * *

  
Connor walked out of the storage room, staring down at the ground. Where was he supposed to look now?   
  
"You should go back to Andrew," he muttered under his breath, wincing. He shook his head. "It won't be that hard. Just say, 'thanks for saving my life. How's the research?'."  
  
"Connor?"  
  
He whirled around, looking for the owner of the voice calling to him. He smiled when he saw Jules run up to him. "Hey." He furrowed his brow. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Jules grinned as she stopped before him. "I heard you and Jamie this morning. I... uhhh..." She blushed. "Well, I wanted to make sure you were okay. So I kind of followed you. Lost track of you a few times." She pointed to the storage room door. "What were you doing in there?"  
  
Connor shut the door all the way. "Nothing. I was looking for something." He looked down. "It wasn't there."  
  
"Oh." Jules nodded. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Is everything okay?"  
  
Connor shrugged. "It's--"  
  
Laughing, Jules nodded again. "Let me guess... Complicated. Jamie's right. You do say that a lot." She shifted uncomfortably. "Everything's complicated right now, isn't it?"  
  
Connor smiled sheepishly at Jules. "Unfortunately." He walked towards Jules, touching her shoulder. "Listen, Jules..."  
  
"Yes Connor?" She squeaked slightly, her face brightening as his hand touched her.  
  
He began to lead her down the street. "I want to talk you. Really. Right now's just not the best time. I've got something I have to do. It's really important. Let me walk you home first."  
  
"Oh." Jules' voice wavered with a note of disappointment. "I understand. I just thought we could..."  
  
Connor sighed as Jules pulled away from him. He shoved his hands into his pockets, staring at the ground. "I know I've been the invisible roommate lately. I really don't mean to. I promise. We'll hang out later. You, me and Jamie. He just got a bootleg of Fantastic Four. We'll watch it and MST the hell out of it."  
  
"Sounds fun." There was no mistaking the bitter flatness in Jules' voice. She stopped, turning to face Connor. "You know, no matter how complicated you think is it, Jamie and I are here. We're your friends."  
  
Connor smiled brightly, nodding. "I know. And that means a lot to me. I'm just working through some stuff. Alone stuff. Thing'll get less complicated." He looked down, gritting his teeth. "I hope..."  
  
Jules blinked innocently at Connor, frowning. "You'd tell us if you were in trouble, right? If there was something you couldn't handle..."  
  
"I can handle it." Connor looked back up at Jules, giving her a reassuring smile. He touched her shoulder, squeezing it gently. "I know what I'm doing."  
  
The smile faded as he looked passed Jules. The black smoke form floated down towards them. His fingers dug into Jules' flesh. It looked darker, more substantial than it had been before. Definitely bigger. He took a deep breath. "At least I think I do."  


* * *

  
"Okay, go over all of the ingredients again. Make sure we have everything." Andrew gripped the steering wheel tighter as he sped the car up.  
  
Salome licked her lips as she scanned the book. She opened the brown paper bag, sorting through it. She pulled out baggies of ingredients, examining them. "I'm pretty sure we have everything. I hope so. You can never be too sure when you buy ingredients out of the trunk of a car."  
  
"I can't believe you have a town without a reputable magic shop," Andrew shook his head furiously.  
  
"It's Palo Alto, Andy." She shrugged. "Then again, it's starting to become a hot spot for the gross, the bad and the ugly. I'm sure it's a growth industry." She stayed at the green sand clutched in her hand. "Are we sure this is going to work?"  
  
"As long as the Shroud hasn't morphed yet, the powder should overpower it." Jerking the wheel, Andrew turned a corner. "It shouldn't have morphed yet, usually it needs to feed on more people. But with the energy he took from Connor... I'm sure that was pretty powerful stuff."  
  
"Maybe we'll get lucky."  
  
Andrew laughed bitterly. "Yeah, because we so often get lucky when fighting demons."  
  
Salome cocked a brow, shaking her head at Andrew. "Sometime you and Connor are going to have to tell me about your unlucky adventures." She smiled. "I want to know what I'm getting into."  
  
"You really plan on getting into this?" Andrew took his eyes off the road to look at Salome. "Be part of the Justice League?"   
  
"Without me you're just a Dynamic Duo." She grinned. "And you're forced to bear all of the homoerotic subtext that goes with it."  
  
Looking mildly uncomfortable, Andrew turned back to the road. "Well, let's just get back to my place. Maybe Connor is there. We can make the powder and go track it down."  
  
"No time!" Salome pointed out the window. "There's its trail. It's leading back to campus. It's fresh. It's close by."  
  
Andrew looked to where Salome was pointing. He could see nothing but clear sky, but he nodded. "Okay. You make the powder, I'll track the demon."  
  
"I don't know how to make this powder!" Salome exclaimed. "I completely suck at the whole concocting thing, especially under pressure. Besides, you can't see the trail. I can."  
  
"I'll tell you how to make the powder," Andrew said. "Just tell me where to go."  
  
"Just pull over, Andy." Salome shook her head as Andrew stopped the car. She got out, striding over to the driver's side. "I'll track the thing, you Snape it up."  


* * *

  
Connor hauled Jules behind him. She stumbled, shrieking. "Connor! What is going on?"  
  
She wasn't supposed to see this. She wasn't supposed to be part of this world. He had to fight it-- Or at least, figure out some way to fight it. Jules couldn't see him as the Des-- The Slayer. He balled his fists, his eyes fixed on the smoke demon. "Jules, you have to do something for me. Run. Just close your mouth and run. Get into a building. Don't look back."  
  
"What's going on?" Jules whined, grabbing Connor's shoulder. Her fingernails dug into his flesh.  
  
"Just go!" Connor barked.  
  
"You're scaring me," Jules whimpered.  
  
"Good!" He whirled around, pushing Jules. She staggered backwards, her large eyes wet and fearful behind her glasses. "Run!"  
  
Clumsily, Jules stumbled off. She soon got her bearings and began to run in earnest. She looked back briefly to Connor. He could see the hurt in her eyes. He winced, trying to fight the pang in his heart. He would have to do some explaining when he got home. He didn't want Jules angry with him, but she couldn't know the truth.  
  
He turned back to the smoke demon. It drifted closer to him. Connor's lip curled in a snarl. "All right. Let's do this."  
  
Connor jumped, skittering up the wall of the storage building. He gripped the edge of the roof, launching himself off. He flipped in the air, above the smoke demon, which curled closer and closer to him. He dodged it in mid-air and landed back on the ground in a crouch. He was now on the other side of the demon. The cloud of smoke kept bearing down on him.  
  
"Good demon." Connor muttered. He began to run, making sure to go in the opposite direction Jules had gone. "Come after Connor." He could feel his lungs start to tighten from the proximity to the smoke. "I just hope I can figure out some way to kill you."  


* * *

  
"Damn woman!" Andrew struggled to keep the small bowl in his lap steady as the car swerved. He glared at Salome. "You drive like a maniac!"  
  
"I drive fine!" Salome snapped as she turned the wheel. "We're on a schedule. I'd rather get to that demon before it Hoovers the entire campus! How is the powder going?"  
  
"I would have been done sooner if you knew how to drive." Andrew poured the white powder into a baggie and zipped it up. He nodded. "All done."  
  
The wheels squealed as Salome slammed on the breaks. "Good." She got out of the car. "We're on foot from here."  
  
Clutching the baggie to his chest, Andrew scrambled out of the car. He ran after Salome. She was keeping her eyes trained to the sky.  
  
"We should try to find Connor before we go after this thing. He's the Slayer." Andrew was panting, struggling to keep the frantic pace.  
  
Salome skidded to a halt, her eyes following the trail down. "Yeah. Not necessary."  
  
Andrew blinked the spots out of his eyes and saw the large Black Shroud descending onto a small figure. It was Connor.   
  
Connor did a series of flips, dodging out of the way of the demon's transparent hand. He noticed Andrew and Salome when he got to his feet. "What are you guys doing here?"  
  
"It is still made of smoke or is it solid?" Andrew asked. He fumbled to open the baggie, having difficulty getting it open.  
  
Connor ducked to evade the demon. "I'd rather not get close enough to find out. How do you kill it?"   
  
"Andy!" Salome yelled. "Do it!"  
  
Andrew focused on the baggie, gripping it tightly in his fingers. His fingers turned white as he tried to force it open. "I'm trying!" He grunted. "Stupid freezer lock!"  
  
The Black Shroud had lost interest in pursuing Connor. It glided towards Andrew, its smoky arms closing in on him. Andrew was so focused on opening the bag, he didn't notice the new danger."  
  
"Andrew!" Connor shouted. He leapt into the air towards Andrew. He grabbed him by the shirt, forcing Andrew into a roll with him. They rolled several feet away from the creature. Connor ended up on top, shielding Andrew with his body. He grabbed the bag, ripping it open at the seams. The powder exploded from its confines, spreading through the air.  
  
The iridescent cloud mingled with the smoke. The Black Shroud made a sucking noise as it merged with the released powder. Connor covered Andrew as a fine layer of grey ash covered his back.  
  
It was Salome who finally got them to look up. "That was mad anti-climatic." She shook her head, then looked down at the pair still sprawled out on the ground. She pointed to them. "See? Homoerotic subtext. You two _so_ need me."  
  
"Has anyone ever told you you're very funny?" Connor grumbled as he pulled himself to his feet.   
  
Salome brushed ash off of Connor's shoulders. "You know, I don't think so."  
  
"That's a genuine comfort," he shot back, looking over his shoulder to see how dirty his back had gotten.  
  
Still prostrate on the ground, Andrew struggled to sit up. "A little help please?"  
  
Connor held out a hand to him. "So that's it? It's gone?" He pulled Andrew to his feet and nodded. "It _was_ pretty anti-climatic."  


* * *

  
The trio walked towards Andrew's car. As he walked, Connor left a trail of dust behind him. Andrew scowled as he pulled the parking ticket off of his windshield.   
  
"So do you think there are any more of those things?" Connor pulled off his jacket and shook it out, coughing as the cloud got in his face.  
  
"I doubt it." Andrew fished his keys out of his pocket and opened the car door. "Black Shrouds travel alone. Actually, they have to. If they meet another Black Shroud, they just merge together." He shifted uncomfortably. "Listen, Connor... I really... You saved my life."   
  
Connor looked down, shrugging. "Well... I kind of owed you one."  
  
Arms open wide, Andrew took a step towards Connor. Connor took a step back. "Yeah. We're good."  
  
"Of course." Andrew straightened up, smiling tightly. "After all, we wouldn't want to give Miss Simpson more fodder."  
  
Holding her hands up, Salome shook her head. "Hey. I didn't say anything."  
  
"Anyway..." Andrew popped the trunk of his car. He reached in, pulling something out. "You told me what you thought a Watcher's role was, so... Consider this a peace offering."  
  
Connor smiled, taking the axe from Andrew as he held it out. Beaming, he gave it a few test swings. "Wow, Andrew... This is really great. Thanks."  
  
Andrew smiled as he watched Connor study the blade. "Well, I didn't know if you had any weapons, and if you're going to be fighting demons, you should really have something proper."  
  
Lowering the axe, Connor nodded. "Yeah. I was just saying that. Thanks for thinking of me."  
  
"I can't believe it." Salome rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "I will never understand men, of _any_ species. When I told you to work out your differences, I didn't think you would work it out by saving each other's lives and getting each other weapons! I thought you would talk, maybe get a cup of cof--" She trailed off, her mouth gaped open. She grabbed Andrew arm, jerking the sleeve up to look at his wrist. "I was supposed to be at work two hours ago." She let go of Andrew's arm. "GladyoutwohaveworkeditoutBYE!" She ran off.  
  
Andrew and Connor stared dumbfounded as Salome retreated. They slowly turned to look at each other. "Want a ride home?" Andrew asked.  
  
Connor nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

* * *

  
When Connor stepped through the threshold of his apartment, he was greeted by two sets of eyes glaring at him.  
  
Jamie and Jules were standing in front of him, their arms crossed over their chests. They looked wholly unamused. Connor took a step back. "Hey guys. How have you been?"  
  
"Yeah. It's not going to work like that," Jamie said, nodding. "You've got a lot to explain. What the hell is going on? And if you say it's complicated, so help me, Connor..."  
  
"You scared me today, Connor," Jules murmured. "You're scaring me a lot."  
  
Connor looked down. "I'm scaring myself." He turned away from the intense glares of his roommates. "I wish I could tell you guys. I really do. But it's not that simple."  
  
"Are you in trouble?" Jamie asked.  
  
Connor turned back, looking up. He nodded. "Yeah. But I can handle it. If you get involved, you'll get in trouble too. And I don't think you can handle it."  
  
"Maybe it's not up to you." Jules reached for Connor's hand.  
  
Connor pulled away from the touch. "Actually, it kind of is. The last thing I want is for you two to get hurt because of something I have to do." He pushed passed Jamie and Jules, striding towards his room.  
  
The phone rang. He paused and picked up the receiver. "Hello?" He nodded. "Yeah okay. I'll be there in a few." He hung up and walked back towards the door. "I have to go out again. I'll see you two later."  
  
"Sooner or later, you're going to have to explain what's going on," Jamie called after him.  
  
Connor opened the door and sighed. "I prefer later."  


* * *

  
Andrew opened the door, forcing a smile when he saw Connor on the other side. He stepped out of the way. "Come in, Connor. Sit down."  
  
Connor walked in, frowning in confusion. "Okay... There couldn't have been some evil creature that rose up in the half an hour since you dropped me off at my place. What's up?" He winced. "Oh God. More questions."  
  
Andrew shook his head. "No. Not more questions. I promise. Just sit. I need to talk to you."  
  
Slightly confused, Connor sat down. He looked up at Andrew. "What's going on?"  
  
With a sigh, Andrew began to pace. For nearly a minute, he didn't speak. Finally, he stopped pacing and stood in front of Connor. "Angel didn't ask me to come be your Watcher."  
  
"What?" Connor made a move to stand up.  
  
"Angel asked Rupert. But with the number of Slayers, he couldn't leave the Council. I don't even think Rupert would have asked me if I hadn't overheard him talking to Angel on the phone. Angel wanted as few people knowing about you as possible to keep you safe." He sighed and sat down next to Connor. "I've been assigned all over the world because no Slayer can stand me for more than a month. With the way we've been fighting, I probably won't last much longer. An axe doesn't just make everything better. It's only a matter of time before you want someone else." He looked down. "I'll call Rupert and ask him for reassignment. I think he wanted Willow originally..."  
  
"No." Connor gave Andrew a small smile. "Are you kidding? I hate magic. I don't want my Watcher to be a witch."  
  
"Oh." Andrew stood up. He started to walk to the phone. "Maybe I can see about getting Xander here then..."  
  
" _Andrew_." Connor got to his feet. His smile grew. "You're my Watcher." He shrugged. "Okay, things have been a bit rocky, but I'm not exactly used to this Watcher-Slayer thing. Let's just start again."  
  
Andrew gave Connor a small smile. "Are you sure about that?"  
  
Connor nodded. "I'm sure. You came all this way, and it's not every day someone gives me an axe."  
  
Andrew looked hopefully at Connor. "Can I ask you a question?"  
  
Connor grimaced, sitting back down. "I suppose so."  
  
Andrew sat down. "So how can you think that Catwoman is the best comic villain of all times?"  
  
"Are you kidding me? She's a fantastic villain!" Connor exclaimed.  
  
"She's not evil at all. Villains are supposed to be evil."  
  
"Come on, the most interesting villains are the ones that are semi-good."  
  
"Speaking as someone who used to be evil, I would have to disagree."  
  
"Wait, you were evil?"  
  
"I was going to tell you that, if you had let me. I was evil and on many occasions sent demons after Buffy to kill her. I'm redeemed now."  
  
"You don't seem like the evil type."  
  
"Well, I can tell you about my descent into evil and my rocky road to redemption..."  


* * *

  
Andrew sat on his bed, notebook in his lap. He tapped his pen against his lips in thought. He then lowered the pen and began to write.  
  
 _From what I've read in the diaries, normal Watcher-Slayer relationships are usually strained. It's so rare that you get a close relationship like Mr. Giles and Buffy. I know I'll never get a relationship like that with Connor. I'm a bit scared of being his father figure, considering what happened to his real father.  
  
I don't know what I'm doing. I know that. I'm learning as I go along. Maybe for once I'll be lucky, and this will work out. Connor is a cool guy. I want to be able to help him. It's not because he's my assignment. I want to help him because I like him.  
  
Maybe if the only trouble we get are the kind we had today, I will.  
  
_

* * *

  
In the abandoned storage room, not far from Connor's apartment, the red goat and pentagram symbol began to glow. Its brilliance grew, enveloping the room in a blinding light.


End file.
